Tower of Terror
by Amanda-Krueger
Summary: An innocent woman, locked in together with a hundred maniacs, in a place like purgatory... the Tower of Terror! See what really happened to Amanda Krueger back then in Westin Hills! Please R&R! [NEW: Chapter 7, June 2007]
1. Locked in

_**ATTENTION**: _**CHAPTER 1 REWRITTEN!** After a lot of thinking I came to the conclusion that Amanda was not already a nun when she was locked in the tower ward, but that the awful events then were responsible for her decision to release Freddy for adoption and to join the local convent. For a further explanation take a look at my weblog (http/ Therefore I had to rewrite the first chapter, changing it from 100 maniacs and 1 nun to 100 maniacs and 1 nurse!

_Author's note_: This story is for all people who have wondered like me what really happened to Amanda Krueger during the days of her captivity in Westin Hills. This is definitely **_not_** a humorous story, and although it starts rather harmless it will contain some very brutal and violent scenes later on which are definitely not suitable for kids under 17! Therefore it's M-Rated and I don't want to be hold responsible for any psychic damage or nightmares or whatever resulting of reading this fic! Despite this – have fun and gimme some nice feedback! ;-)))

_Disclaimer_: I don't own anything of NOES, all rights belong to New Line Cinema and Wes Craven

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**Tower ward of Westin Hills, 1941  
**

Constant murmur filled the air, only occasionally interrupted by screams and lunatic laughter. Dull and reddish light dunked the vast hall, shining through small and dirty windows high above the ground. A horrible smelliness of sweat, vomit, excrements and illness, burning in the lungs like acid, made it almost impossible to breathe.

About hundred people were imprisoned in the huge tower ward of the psychiatric hospital Westin Hills, pent-up like animals. Dressed in torn and scummy tatters most of the men walked in endless circles, others stood motionless in strange poses or vegetated in dark corners. They were the worst of all criminals. Sociopaths, rapists, murderers, child molesters, fire raisers – every one by them mentally insane.

A hundred maniacs.  
And one nurse.

Her name was Amanda Krueger. She wore a white dress with a hood covering her brown hair, not unalike from a cassock. With several clean blankets under her arm she slowly made her way through the thronged crowd. She had only been working in Westin Hills for two months now, usually on the open women ward. But the summer holidays which had just started a few days ago had even worsened the already existing staff shortage caused by World War II, and so she had been assigned to a new shift. It was her first day in the forensic ward, which was only a poor description for such a horrible place, and the fact that she had to work all alone didn't make it easier for her. She wasn't sure if she could do any good at all for these poor figures. The blankets she had to distribute were just too little, and she had nothing else to ease their torments.

Some of the patients desperately begged her to take them away from this hellish dungeon, but most of the inmates didn't show any reaction when she tried to talk to them, just gazing at her with dead looking eyes.

A meager hand kept hold of her dress, and turning around Amanda saw an old, crippled man. His left arm was atrophied, and saliva was drooling down his chin. With a merciful smile she fetched a clean handkerchief out of her pocket and wept the spittle away, before she handed him out the last blanket. The man returned her smile, thereby unveiling an almost black gum with only a few rotten teeth left, then he snatched the blanket with his crippled arm and pressed in on his chest like a precious treasure. When he finally loosened his grip on her dress she continued on her way.

Another man, bald and tumid, continuously hit his brow with the back of his hand. Although Amanda knew that her shift was almost over she stopped and gently touched the disturbed man on his shoulder. On noticing her the man interrupted his monotonous movement and began to pant like a dog, then he bared his penis and peed on the ground. Both shocked and concerned Amanda hastily turned away.

She had to hurry now as she was told before that the guards, who were supposed to let her out of this ward, wouldn't wait very long. The only way out led over a small, iron staircase up onto a high platform to a two-winged heavy metal gate. Tediously Amanda cleared her path through the crowd, but when she took a quick look to the exit she was abruptly petrified. The white uniformed warders were already standing on the platform, counting the meandering inmates without any interest. They seemed to have forgotten that she, the nurse, was still amidst the maniacs, and in sudden horror she recognized that they would not see her among the crowd from this distance.

The stairs were about 30 feet away, but too many people blocked her way and pushed her back. Her shock turned to pure panic when the guards soon quit the counting and forgetfully turned away.

She wanted to scream, but she couldn't speak.  
She wanted to run, but she couldn't move.

Paralyzed by nameless horror she watched helpless as the guards left the hall. The heavy iron gate shut with a loud metal bang, locking in Amanda to hundred mad criminals. The cracking sound of the closing door pulled Amanda out of her torpidity.

"No!" she screamed desperately, but although her yell was amplified by the echo of the huge hall it was too late. The guards were gone and already out of earshot. Amanda's thoughts were spinning fast in her mind, and in an attempt to calm her down she grabbed the bronze cross on her chest. She was trapped! What should she do now? She had to reach the exit gate, perhaps the guards would return if she knocked on the door long enough. Surely they would search for her if she did not return from her shift, so even if they wouldn't hear her knocking she only had to wait a few hours until they would come back for the next inmate checking. Yes, she only had to…

A sudden, uneasy feeling made her look up. Something was different. Then she noticed that the permanent muttering had faded away, leaving nothing but an oppressive silence. But the most obvious change was that all patients had stopped their circling movements, staring at her in a way that made her shiver. All the people who had ignored her before now looked at her as if they would realize her presence for the first time. Their faces showed astonishment and curiosity, but above all an ominous grin that could barely hide their obscene and perverted intentions. Before she could make even one step toward the redeeming exit they closed in on her, reaching out for her and touching her from every direction.

"Please, don't! Let me go!" she begged frightened, but the inmates still came closer and closer. It seemed as if there was no escape, when suddenly a sharp voice shouted:

"Don't touch her!"

To Amanda's surprise and great relief the patients let off from her immediately, stepping aside almost tremulous so that she could catch a glimpse of the man who had spoken. He was about 5'7" tall and skinny, with short slightly curled hair, wearing torn trousers and the dirty remains of what must have been a shirt a long time ago. He had turned his back on Amanda, but before she could take a step toward her assumed saviour or even say a thankful word he turned around, giving her a disdainful look while a cruel grin curled around his lips.

"The bitch is mine!" he stated menacingly, destroying Amanda's last hope of a safe resort and leaving nothing but sheer terror. And the real nightmare was just beginning…


	2. I remember

_Author's note_: Okay, folks, I know that chapter 1 was not much more than a written version of that very scene shown in NOES5. But now things are going on. So let the real story begin! (And sorry for the long pause in updating) R&R please:-))))))

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**St. Vincent's Convent of the Merciful Sisters, 1968**

Prayerful silence lay upon the small monastery on the outskirts of Springwood. It was the time between the _non_ and the _vesper_, that was between 3 to 6 p.m., and the stoned porticoed patio was almost empty as most of the nuns were praying apart in their cells. The only persons outside were a young girl and two elder nuns. The two nuns, both dressed in the traditional white cassock, were engrossed in a low but motivated discussion about the meaning of a certain quote from the bible while they walked toward the refectory. The girl, however, who was cleaning the hallway with a wooden broom, was wearing a slightly different cassock. The robe was simpler and meeker, and instead of the typical hair cover she had only a tiny hood. She was apparently a neophyte, a novice prior to her solemn promise.

The young novice, her name was Sister Mary Abigail, had cleaned just about the half of the long portico. Humming a chant from the previous mass she worked busy and patiently, when all of a sudden a dreadful long scream interrupted the peaceful atmosphere. It came from inside of one of the cells. Startled Mary Abigail dropped her broom and ran to the cell where the scream had come from. The two elder nuns arrived there at the same time.

"Did you hear this? It came from Sister Mary Helena's cell. Maybe she needs help!", Mary Abigail said concerned. She was out to open the wooden door, but one of the elder nuns, Sister Theresa, held her back.

"Wait!", Sister Theresa said, "Don't disturb her! Go and call the abbess. Tell her that Sister Mary Helena... umm... tell her she had a bad dream and needs her."

Mary Abigail gave her a somewhat puzzled look, but she was trained to obey and didn't ask any questions. Instead she turned around and hurried to the refectory, where she hoped to find the abbess Mary Elisabeth. Sister Theresa and the other nun, Sister Benedicta, stayed in front of the closed door. From inside the cell they could hear hushed sobbing. Both nuns exchanged worried looks.

"Poor Mary Helena. It's the forth time this week.", said Sister Theresa and folded her hands for a short prayer. Sister Benedicta nodded: "It's never been so bad since... well, since that tragic incident three years ago. My prayers are with her every night. '_May there be peace within your walls and security within your citadels. May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit._' Amen."

"Amen.", repeated Sister Theresa.

The sobbing from inside the cell seemed to have stopped, but the two nuns outside were not sure as the heavy doors absorbed most of the sounds. Patiently they waited for the abbess Mary Elisabeth, who entered the hallway only a few moment later. Mary Abigail, the novice, followed her shyly in some distance.

"God with you, Sister Theresa and Sister Benedicta.", greeted the abbess the waiting nuns friendly. Although she was a rather short, small woman her face showed complaisant strength and resoluteness, while her clear blue eyes reflected her wisdom and deep understanding.

"God with you, Mother Superior.", replied the two nuns almost in unison and stepped aside from the still closed door. The abbess gave them a quick smile, then she turned back to the door and knocked two times.

"Sister Mary Helena? It's me, Mary Elisabeth. May I come in?"

There was a long, silent pause, but then a low voice came from inside.

"Come in."

Slowly the mother superior opened the door and entered the small cell. The tiny rectangular room was darkish, as the curtain of the small window was still drawn close. Sister Mary Helena was sitting on the plain wooden bed, but even in the sparse light you could see that her eyes were red from crying. When the abbess approached her she raised her head, her look filled with so much pain and grief Mary Elisabeth felt a deep sympathy for her. She sat down on a simple chair – beside of a small table and a dresser the only furniture in the room – and asked carefully:

"Was it the same dream again?"

"Yes… no… it…", Mary Helena tried to fight back the tears that were filling her eyes again, "First it was the same dream. I was there again, trapped in the tower ward with the inmates starting to corner me."

She closed her eyes and swallowed several times, the memory of that fateful moment still hurting her. Mary Elisabeth knew how hard it was for her to speak about these dreadful events, even after so many years. She took Mary Helena's hand and pressed her compassionate, and finally Mary Helena went on speaking:

"I never recalled what happened then, I mean, what really happened in these few days until they found me. Usually I wake up screaming at this point, as you know. But this time... this time the dream went on! And… and I saw him, his fiery eyes and his cruel grin, and he said... he said I belonged to him."

She opened her eyes again. Tears were running down her face.

"Now I remember! I remember everything!", Mary Helena said almost soundless, "His name was Robert Jeremiah Torrance, but they called him Mercy."


	3. Confession

**_Author's note:_** Step by step things are turning nasty, and I mean really nasty. Now I have to see if I can find a way of describing explicit content **_without_** describing it explicit. ;-)  
So if this story suddenly vanishes I had no luck and still got caught by the admins. Just in case I suggest to visit my weblog (see my profile for details), as I will comment anything regarding my fanfics there.

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**St. Vincent's Convent of the Merciful Sisters, 1968**

_They called him Mercy..._

Mary Helena's last words still lingered in the air. The abbess, Mary Elisabeth, frowned slightly while she still held Sister Mary Helena's hand. How could anyone, who had participated in these unspeakable abhorrences, be called Mercy? This was not only distasteful, but sick and inhuman!

«You don't have to talk about it!», she finally said.

«Yes, I do!» replied Mary Helena, «I remember now. It is a sign, a sign from our Lord, that I have to confess what happened then.»

She turned to Mary Elisabeth, a weak smile on her face.

«I need absolution, before... before it is too late.»

Mary Elisabeth gave her a worried look, but said nothing. For the last months she had noticed with much concern how Mary Helena was loosing strength, weight and vitality, literally aging before her eyes. Her face was marked with deep crinkles, and her eyes, dark circled and sunk, were often clouded by grief. There was no doubt that she was indeed dying, not of age or from any customarily disease, but from the excruciating trauma that tortured her more than ever with nightmares and flashbacks she could hardly bear any longer.

Maybe she could really find some peace in telling eventually what had happened then. But even if there was a part in Mary Elisabeth that feared somehow these long forgotten memories and that did not want to hear about all these horrid events in painful detail. However, her duty as a servant of the Lord and moreover as Mary Helena's friend demanded that she supported her in every possible way.

_«'Now make confession to the Lord, the God of your fathers, and do his will._'», she cited and nodded encouraging, «Tell me!»

**  
Tower ward, 1941**

Appalled at the vulgar statement of 'being his bitch' Amanda stared in disbelief at the lean man who was slowly approaching her. Worried she noticed the other inmates backing off in fear and avoiding direct eye contact wherever he passed by. A low whisper arose, running through the crowd like a wildfire. _Mercy! It's Mercy!_ Several times Amanda picked that word up, leaving her even more confused and terrified.

She wanted to say anything, wanted to beg him to let her go, wanted to plead for her life. But when she opened her mouth to speak the man, who was now standing threateningly near, put his index finger on her lips and shook his head slightly.

«Shhhh», he said in a deceiving soft tone, but the gaze of his piercing blue eyes was cold and ruthless. In vain Amanda was looking for any sign of pity or humanity, and frightened she started to tremble. Her apparent fear seemed to amuse the man, as he gave her a dark smirk and ran his finger slowly down her neck, stopping by the little name tag on her white dress.

«Amanda Krueger, eh?» he read out, «Amanda... I really like your name. So tell me, Amanda, is it the first time you're in the tower ward? I've never seen you here before.»

Puzzled at his sudden kind behavior she nodded timidly.

«Well, then maybe you would like to have a little guided tour? Come, I show you the place.»

Gently he took her by her arm and led her away from the stairs, glancing only once up to the portal as if he wanted to check how much time he had before the guards would return. Amanda followed his look and slacked her pace. Against all odds she was still hoping that there was a way she could get out of here unharmed, so she wanted to stay as close as possible to the rescuing exit. But the slower she got the more the man intensified his grip on her, pulling her step by step away from the gate and into darker and secluded areas of the ward.

When they finally reached a corner hidden behind a huge pillar and not visible from the main platform, the man stopped and released her arm. Four men were standing there together, looking curious at the unexpected arrival of Amanda.

«Guys, this is Amanda. She got a little bit lost, and so I offered to take care for her for a while.», said the man still surprisingly polite. One of the four men, a skinny, tiny man with short black hair, bobbed his head and began to snicker madly, but one sharp look from the other man silenced him at once, although he kept on moving jerkily.

«Well, Amanda, let me introduce my friends to you. First, this is Moose.» the man pointed to a huge, muscled-bound man with a bald head, who growled curtly in response, then he continued: «He raped a whole farmers family, from the old granny to the little four year old boy, and after he was done he killed them all and fucked them again.»

The casual tone he was telling these horrible crimes made Amanda recoil in utter shock. She attempted to draw away, but the man blocked her way and went on impassively: «On the right this is Mitch. He robbed a bank, and when the police came he shot all six hostages, one by one just for fun. And on the left, this is Ash. He's a fire raiser. He once torched a nigger church, while the mass was still going on inside. More then thirty people died that day, 'cause he had locked the only exit.»

Mitch, a tall man with tattoos all over his arms and chest, nodded only silently, while the other man, Ash, smiled dreamy and said: «Thirty-two. Thirty-two bloody niggers, grilled like barbecue. I can still smell their burning flesh!»

Nauseated Amanda turned her head away. The tiny, skinny man, who had snickered first, jumped nervously up and down.

«Tell her about me!» he called and giggled again, «Now tell her about me, okay? Tell her about me!»

«Shut your puss, Lenny!» snarled Moose angry. Lenny ducked down submissively, interrupting his insane snicker only for a few moments before he started to chuckle again.

«Please excuse Lenny.» explained the man who still stood close behind Amanda, «He's schizophrenic. Killed his own mother and sister. He decapitated them first, then he ate their raw bloody flesh. He said the voice of a devil commanded him to do it.»

«It was Satan!» blurted Lenny out, then, lower, he murmured: «He spoke to me through the radio!»

With an annoyed growl Moose hit him on his head. Whining loud Lenny jumped aside, hiding behind Ash, who also hustled him away. The other man, however, ignored them and grabbed Amanda by her shoulders, spinning her around so that she faced him again.

«Well, so much for my pals. Any questions?» he asked sneering. Still shocked and disgusted by all these gruesome stories Amanda just stared at him wide-eyed. She knew her only chance of survival among these dangerous maniacs was to stay calm and show no fear. But although she tried desperately hard she could not hide the trembling in her voice when she finally asked: «What... what about you?»

Laughing the man let her go and made a mocking bow.

«Me? Oh sorry, how rude of me! My name is Robert Jeremiah Torrance, but you can call me Mercy!»

_Mercy!_ So she had not misheard it when the other patients had whispered it before. But she had never expected it to be someone's name. Still confused she stuttered: «Mercy? I... I don't understand... why?»

«Because that's what all the bitches were crying and begging for before I killed them.» replied Mercy. The fact that he was speaking of several victims made Amanda cringe, and she dreaded to think what hellish torture those poor women had to have suffered to make them cry for mercy. Almost at the end of her self-control she beseeched:

«I... I want to go now. Please, let me go!»

«Oh, you don't want to stay? Why? Are we not good enough for you? Or don't we come up to your puritanical moral expectations?» Mercy asked sarcastic and started to circle around Amanda like a tiger around his prey. He stopped right behind her and said: «Maybe you just have to stay a little bit longer and get to know us somewhat better, then you would change your mind!»

Instantly Amanda shook her head. Her thoughts were whirling like blazes in her head as she was desperately trying to find a way out of this futile situation. There had to be something she could say so that they would let her go, something she could offer in return.

«If you let me go I... I could bring you whatever you want. Blankets, food, clothes...»

«We don't need no bloody blankets.» Mercy cut her off, then he smiled viciously: «But there's something else you could do for us!»

Without warning he grabbed her from behind and forced her down on her knees. Choking her brutally he bent down and hissed: «Do you have any idea how long it's been since we fucked a real cunt?»

«No, please, don't...»

Struggling wild Amanda tried to escape, but to no avail. Her screams were drowned by the loud maniac laughter of Lenny, as the four other men closed in. Lecherous hands clutched at her breast and bottom, other ripped at her dress and her undies. Out of the corner of her eyes she saw Moose, the huge bald-head, opening his tattered trousers and stepping behind her.

And then there was only pain.


	4. Dreadful Deals

**_Author's note_: **Despite the usual disclaimer that I don't own anything beside my weird imagination I would like to emphasize that the way the people in my fanfic are talking or acting does not relate to my personal attitude in any way. I know there is a lot of abusive language that might hurt some of my readers. But please bear in mind that the people described in my story are convicted criminal maniacs who give a damn about political correctness. Nevertheless I apologize for any inconvenience caused by my fanfic. And now have fun!

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**Tower Ward, 1941**

The pain was overwhelming. Every inch of Amanda's beaten and abused body was screaming in agony while she was lying almost unconscious on the rough floor. Her dress was tattered and bloodstained, and someone had ripped off the white hood that had covered her curly brown hair. Now it was ragged and smudged with the repugnant remains of countless sexual violations.

Moose, Mercy, Mitch, Ash, Lenny - one by one had taken her with brutal force. And when they were all finished they had just started over again. The pain and disgrace of loosing her virginity had been nothing compared to the physical pain in her lower abdomen and bottom. But her screams trailed off unheard. When the five men were finally done with her she was already bleeding and barely able to move. However, the real nightmare had just begun. Other men had come, offering Moose food, clothes and other things in exchange for a 'quick bang'.

And so the horrid raping continued in an even more humiliating way, as she got 'lent out' like a mere sex slave. Treated like a prostitute she was forced to do whatever perverted wish the men had, and soon she lost count of the number of men who abused her in every thinkable and unthinkable way. Eventually, after what seemed an eternity of suffering, they let up of her and dropped her careless to the ground, where she kept lying motionless until now.

Moaning low at first Amanda slowly opened her eyes, then, after moving around so that she faced the ground she feebly tried to sit up. Coughing hoarsely she carefully touched her aching head. Among the already dried, coagulated blood she felt a sticky substance on her cheek, but when she wiped it off with her hand she saw that it wasn't just dirt but yellowish-white sperm. Choking in disgust she wiped her face with a sleeve of her dress, trying desperately to remove any other traces of the past hours. Though, the feeling of being filthy remained, together with all the dreadful memories of what had happened, and a sudden wave of nausea made her almost puke on the floor. Near to tears she spat on the ground, when suddenly, without warning, she got grabbed by her hair and pulled up with a jerk.

"Look who's awake again!" a cold, scornful voice said. Although Amanda didn't recognize the voice she knew who it was from the tattooed arms that she could spot. It was Mitch. Sneering down on her he yanked her around until she let out a painful scream, then he thrust her back on the ground. "Tough bitch, aren't ya? Wanna have some fun?"

He made a vulgar gesture that let no doubt which 'fun' he meant. Appalled Amanda shook her head and crawled as much away from him as she could, looking for somebody to help her. But apart from Mitch there were only Lenny and Mercy, who would probably rather join Mitch than rescue her, whereas Moose and Ash were both nowhere to be seen.

"No, please! Let me go... you... you had your... fun... already, didn't you?" It cost her quite an effort to talk like this, speaking of her own rape like it was nothing but a jolly, harmless game. Mitch let out a cruel laugh.

"Nice try, bitch, but we're nowhere near done with you!"

He grabbed Amanda again by her arm and dragged her right beside him, forcing her head down to his crotch.

"Suck my dick, slut!" he commanded. With raising panic Amanda struggled against his brutal grip, but she had no chance. Once again Mitch pressed her face into his groin, where she could feel his already stiff penis. However, before Mitch could compel her to satisfy his obscene desires he got suddenly grabbed by his shoulder. Mercy, who had been watching all along seemingly indifferent, had left his place on the projection on the wall unnoticed, interrupting Mitch abruptly.

"Leave her alone. She has done enough for the moment." Mercy said in a low, but all the more menacing tone. Mitch threw an angry look at him, and for a moment it seemed as if he wouldn't comply with Mercy's order, but then he released Amanda's head with an angry snort and jerked himself free from Mercy's firm grip. Shooting another dark glance at Mercy, who returned his look unimpressed, Mitch turned around and walked away. A poor guy, who accidentally got into his way, got frantically knocked down by him, before he finally disappeared into the ever-moving crowd.

Not daring to look up Amanda kept crouching on the floor. As relieved she was that Mercy had stopped Mitch from abusing her, as frightened she was what he himself would do to her now. Whatever reason he might have had to save her from Mitch it was surely not out of pure humanity.

When Mercy took her arm she winced, but he smiled at her and asked: "Are you okay? Do you want some water?"

Before she had the chance to say something he turned his head to Lenny, who was sitting idle behind them in the corner, and ordered: "Lenny, go and fetch some water! Now!"

"Water! Sure, Mercy, I'll be right back!" Lenny replied with his usual chuckling voice and set off immediately. Mercy, meanwhile, turned back to Amanda and gave her again a broad smile, then he helped her sit up straight.

"Feeling better now? I hope you're not in too much pain. I'd give you some painkiller, but well, you know, it's kinda hard to get stuff like this up here."

Amanda gawped at him dumbfounded. She was completely baffled by Mercy's inconsistent behavior. Now seemingly obliging and anxious about her health he had yet bargained coldblooded the price for her body and 'service' just a few hours ago. How could he, after what he had done to her, still care for her well-being? Maybe he wasn't thoroughly evil and insane, maybe there was still something good inside him. Or maybe he was just tricking her, attempting to gain her confidence, before he and the others would rape her again. Completely confused by all these conflicting thoughts Amanda kept silent, but Mercy didn't seem to mind as he still smiled at her and sat down just beside her on the ground. His near presence made Amanda shiver uneasily, and embarrassed she noticed that her skirt was ripped up to her thighs, revealing her bruised and scratched legs. Turning red she tried to cover her legs as much as possible and peered at Mercy, who watched her with a slightly amused look on his face.

Avoiding his piercing glance she looked around the huge hall while she waited for Lenny's return. But what she saw didn't actually help her to feel more comfortable: fights between inmates, ruthless brute force toward the weaker patients, and even ongoing rapes of other men. If these represented just the 'common and average incidences' in this ward then this place was surely hell. Near a huge pillar she spotted the crippled old man, whom she had given her last blanket. Two other men were badgering him, taking away his blanket first, then they knocked him over and kicked the defenseless old man again and again. When they finally ceased from him he remained motionless on the ground, and although he was clearly bleeding nobody else helped him or even noticed him. Worried if he was still alive Amanda felt the need to help him, but she knew that there was nothing she could do. Not only that there was no chance of getting aid, but also she was hurt, too, and barely able to cope with her own pain that was still throbbing in her womb. Tears of despair were filling her eyes again, so she closed them and stifled her sobbing by lowering her head down to her knees.

A mad giggling announced the return of Lenny.

"Water! See, Mercy? I've got water, as you wished."

He handed Mercy a dented tin-cup filled with cloudy water. Mercy passed the cup along to Amanda and said: "Here, drink this. It's better than it looks."

Amanda eyed the water doubtfully, but when Mercy nodded encouraging she took a quick sip. And indeed, the water was moldy, but drinkable. It soothed her sore throat and eased her cough almost at once. After she had quenched her most urgent thirst she gave the cup back to Mercy.

"Thank you!"

Mercy answered with a simple nod. Lenny, however, jumped fidgety and cackled:

"Don't thank him, no-no. Thank Cross. It's from him, the water, from Cross. He said it's a down payment. He'll come later. Yes, a down payment for having some special fun with you."

"What?" Amanda almost jumped up in shock. This couldn't be true, not again, and not for just a cup of water!

"No! Please, no more!" she begged, and this time she couldn't dam up the tears that ran down her cheek. Though, Mercy just shrugged his shoulders and said ruthless: "A deal is a deal!"


	5. No escape

**Author's note:** Thanks for all the positive reviews, I really appreciate them. So here it is, the next chapter. But be warned! It contains very offensive language and pictures of sexual violence. If you're easily offended or insulted then don't read it!

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**St. Vincent's Convent of the Merciful Sisters, 1968**

Dusk had approached while Sister Mary Helena was telling the abbess, Sister Mary Elisabeth, her horrible experiences back then in the Westin Hills tower ward. The more the abbess heard what had happened at that time the more she understood why Mary Helena had repressed almost all of her memories of that time for so many years. It was surely hard enough to live on after something like that at all, even without those dreadful memories haunting you every day and night. Even listening to it was almost more than the abbess could bear, and she had the unease sense that there was still more to come.

Now, after so much exhausting talking, Mary Helena seemed more than ever weakened and delicate. Her voice had become more and more unsteady, and her tear-stained eyes had a feverish look which still couldn't hide her enfeebled state. More than once she had interrupted her narration, sometimes to pick back up, but more often in an energy-sapping struggle to retain her composure while she relieved the entire trauma. The abbess was deeply worried that she would overstrain herself if she went on much longer.

"Dear Sister, you're tired! We should take a break and continue tomorrow." Mary Elisabeth suggested finally. But Mary Helena objected at once: "No, not yet. I'm not tired, I'm fine. Please, I... I have to finish this. I have to tell!"

"But it's too much for you, it's hurting you."

"It is. But it's also relieving. All these years I have carried around these near-forgotten memories. And now, for the first time in my life, I'm able to tell the whole truth."

"Then at least let me tell our Sisters that we won't join Vesper", the abbess suggested and stood up, "Just rest for a minute. I'll be back in no time."

She left the tiny cell and hurried down the patio toward the refectory. When she reentered Sister Mary Helena's cell about ten minutes later she held a wooden tray with some food and water in her hand. Placing it on the nearby table she casted a worried look at Mary Helena, who had not moved since and sat with her eyes closed and her hands folded while she prayed incessantly the same psalm: "The Lord is my strength and my song; he has become my salvation."

After the sun had set the already shaded cell got rapidly darker, and so the abbess turned on a little table lamp which stood beside Mary Helena's bed, then she offered a sandwich to Mary Helena.

"Please, take this. You have to eat something."

When Mary Helena didn't react she added a psalm of her own: "Now please listen to your servant and let me give you some food so that you may eat and have the strength to go on your way."

With a short sigh Mary Helena interrupted her prayer and took the sandwich hesitantly. Though she bit off only a few tiny pieces before she put it aside again.

"I'm sorry, but I'm not hungry now. So... where did I stop?" she asked. Her refusal to eat made Mary Elisabeth frown, but she knew that she couldn't force Mary Helena. All she could do was pray and support her on this stony way of remembrance.

"Well, last you told of the way those villainous criminals forced you to... uh... do wicked actions in exchange for goods." Mary Elisabeth recapitulated, "I really have veneration for your strength. But I wonder why nobody came into the ward searching for you. Didn't anybody miss you?"

"Oh, but they searched for me. It was just not thoroughly enough. Maybe they considered it unlikely that I could be in there, or maybe they were simply neglectful. I don't know. I only know when the guards didn't find me and left me again I gave up my last hope of survival."

Mary Helena closed her eyes while she tried to recall all the dreadful events. Then, with shaking voice, she continued with her story.

**  
Tower Ward, 1941**

The cracking sound of the opening iron gates jolted Amanda out of an uneasy sleep. After hours of more abuse, physical as well as sexual, she had found only little alleviation at the coming of night. Pain, the hardly lowered murmur of the other inmates, and the hard and cold floor kept her awake for a long time. When she finally managed to cry herself into sleep it was almost dawn.

The usual constant mumbling had increased to an agitated clamor, and the endless circling of the inmates had mostly stopped, indicating that something unexpected and unusual had happened. Slowly Amanda got up and crawled on all fours out of the shadow of the back corner. She used a nearby large pillar to pull herself up and tried to find the cause of all the stir. And then she saw the guards. Two young men were coming down the large staircase, their bright white uniforms forming a sharp contrast to the dirty gray-brown rags of the patients. When they reached the bottom of the stairs they used their black wooden batons to push their way through the gaping crowd of inmates. They were searching for Amanda!

The sudden chance of rescue gave Amanda new strength, and as fast as her weakened state permitted she hobbled towards the guards while trying desperately to attract their attention. But she was still too far away to be heard or seen. However, before she could get any nearer she got grabbed from behind by a pair of huge hands. It was Moose, who covered her mouth and dragged her apart to the rest of his gang. Together they built a tight circle around her, shielding her almost completely from outer sight. Although Amanda tried to break away from Moose with all her might she had not the slightest chance of escape. Her wild screams were muffled by his brawny hand, her struggling body was clutched firmly by his arms. All she could do was watch helpless from the corner of her eyes how the guards approached on their just perfunctory search, only to see them passing by without noticing her. Burning tears were running down Amanda's cheek as she had to witness her first and maybe only chance of getting rescued walk away inactively.

About five minutes later the heavy gates were shut again with a loud bang when the guards left the tower ward. At the same moment the gates were locked Amanda got released by Moose. With a desperate cry she collapsed on the ground.

"No! No! No! Come back! Please come back! Oh no, come back!" she sobbed over and over again. It wasn't right, it wasn't fair! How could the guards overlook her, when she was only a few feet away? Why didn't they search more thoroughly? Though, her disappointment and frustration soon turned into black despair. Never before she had felt so lost and hopeless.

"Oh, poor Amanda. Are you disappointed that your knights in shining armor didn't rescue you?" Mercy knelt beside her and taunted her with a cruel smile, "Did you really think they would find you? They didn't even took time to really search for you, did you notice? And do you know why? Because they didn't care! Nobody cares for you, you are all alone."

"No, that's not true. They cared, they just didn't see me, because you concealed me." Amanda contradicted, but Mercy retorted: "Two men searching a room full with a hundred people for about five minutes? They barely could have tried less! Maybe they thought that such a little whore like you didn't deserve to be rescued, maybe they thought that you belong in here. And now you'll be staying with us forever as a lifelong willing servant!"

It was obvious that he enjoyed to torment Amanda by rubbing in her impasse. His words were like acid for Amanda's already tortured mind, and whining she shook her head again and again in a desperate attempt to deny the only too obvious truth: the guards had let her down – again! Her obvious anguish sent a rush of satisfaction through Mercy's body, stoking up even more his sadistic desire for humiliating and torturing her.

"The sooner you accept that there won't be any escape for you, the sooner you'll enjoy the pleasure of being fucked by us. And then you will beg us to fuck you. You will crave for getting your little juicy cunt and your wide-opened ass filled with our pricks, and you will drink the sweet loads of cum that you'll suck right out of every cock."

Mercy's obscene words didn't miss their effect on Amanda, who winced even more, but they also seemed to affect Moose, who had absent-minded begun to rub his crotch. His bald head was reddened and he panted randy. Without warning he grasped Amanda and brought her down on her knees.

"Show me your ass, bitch!" he growled and opened his pants. Unresisting Amanda let him remove her already ripped dress, and not a single shout of pain came from her when Moose started to rape her. Even when Mercy stepped in front of her and forced her to satisfy him orally at the same time she showed no resistance. The only visible reaction were the tears that silently ran down her cheeks, but her eyes gazed into space. It seemed as if she was mentally broken and had given up not only her last hope but also her will to survive.

Mercy was right.  
There was no escape...


	6. The pecking order

**Author's note:** Well, it took me a long time to update this story, but finally here it is: the new, shiny and long-awaited next chapter! I really hope there are at least a few royal readers left after so much time. Anyway, just read and have fun, and don't forget to review! ;)

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**Tower Ward, 1941**

Day or night. Morning or afternoon. Nothing mattered to Amanda. Not anymore. Apathetically she was lying on the rough floor, thrown away like trash after the last 'round' of abuse that ended only a few hours ago. Her already tattered and dirty dress was ridden up, exposing her bare thighs, and she had sperm and blood stains in her face, but she didn't care. With wide eyes she stared into space, oblivious to all that was going on around her. It was as if she was already dead, and in a way she was. Her mind was broken.

Suddenly, a loud clang interrupted the usual maniac buzzing. An expectant murmur rose as a narrow shutter below the exit stairs opened, revealing a small freight elevator. Two guards pushed a huge trolley-table with two heavy, steaming pots, about three dozens of small tin bowls, and a large box filled with bred on top of it into the hall, then they turned around and left on the same way they came in. At the very moment the guards were gone all the inmates, who had watched them stock-still with eager tautness, leaped to the metal table and started to fight for the all too little food. It was a sheer pandemonium, with everyone screaming, pushing, kicking and grabbing for food. A tall man wrenched a filled tin bowl from a much smaller, thin guy, then he knocked him down and kicked him viciously several times into the stomach and chest. Another old, lame man, who had managed to snatch up a slice of bread, got his arm painfully twisted around until he let the bread fall. The old, the weak, the injured and those with low rank had almost no chance of getting even a small ration of the washy green pea stew, as men like the members of Moose's gang kept the bigger part for themselves with brute force.

The quarreling, struggling and fighting continued this way for quite a time until all of the food was dispensed. Amanda, however, didn't even lifted her head meanwhile. She also didn't react when Moose, Mercy and the others returned to her spot, each of them carrying tin bowls and some bread. Lenny, fidgety as usual, hopped around Moose like a mad rabbit. He carried a full tin bowl and almost spilled it as he followed Moose in the back of the corner.

"Here's your pea stew, Moose! See, I bring you your stew! Moose? Your pea stew!" he squeaked and offered the tin bowl to Moose.

"Shut up, Lenny!", Moose growled and took the bowl from Lenny, who sat down in front of Moose like an obedient dog, waiting for his 'master' to throw down some leftovers for him.

Unlike Mitch and Ash, who were sitting nearby Moose, Mercy had sat down just next to Amanda. She flinched subtly as he placed two bowls filled with slimy green stew less than a feet away from her head on the ground. But Mercy noticed her movement and gently stroked her brown hair.

"Are you hungry, sweety? You can have one of my portions if you want."

When Amanda remained motionless and didn't answer either he grabbed her by her arms and dragged her up into a sitting position, then he lifted her chin with his other hand until their eyes met.

"Don't be stupid, my dear. You really oughta eat something! We don't want you to die of starvation, that would spoil all the fun. Well, for most of us, at least, if you get what I mean."

Mercy's sarcastic words didn't seem to affect Amanda first, as she was still gazing right through him, but finally she slowly focused him and whispered:

"Why should I want to live on in this place? Death is probably better than this!"

"Oh, come on, is this how you thank me for saving your life? By giving up and kicking the bucket eventually?"

A fierce expression returned into Amanda's eyes, and angry she pushed Mercy's hand aside. "Saving my life? You didn't save my life! How can you say that when you're still keeping me here?"

"You really don't get it, do you? I saved your life when I claimed you as my property. You think I'm a perverted maniac, well, I am! But the others would have killed you in less than an hour! Most of them are not much more than beasts, and who would blame them since that's what we are treated like. So yes, princess, if you like it or not, I saved your life." replied Mercy coolly.

"Then please, let me go! I'll die if I have to stay here, I... I can't stand it any longer!" Amanda pleaded once again. But Mercy shook his head: "I can't. If I release you, they'll kill us."

"Kill you? But... I don't understand. Who? And why?"

Mercy chuckled and gave her an almost sad look. "What do you think? Do you really believe the guards would thank us that we have only raped you? No, no. When they find you here, they will take revenge on us. And whatever punishment they'll choose, I doubt that anyone of us will survive it."

Speechless Amanda just gaped at him. He had to be joking! They wouldn't do something like this! But deep in her heart she knew that it was not only possible, but also likely. If they found her here, it would surely create a great scandal. Those responsible would search for someone to pay for it. So if Mercy and the other inmates wanted to survive, they had to make sure that she, Amanda, was never found. Which in turn meant that they would kill her sooner or later, hiding her remains until there was nothing more left from her than a few rotten bones.

"You will kill me, won't you? Eventually you will kill me, because in the long run it's too risky for you to keep me here alive."

Mercy gave her a piercing glance, but didn't answer. His silence, however, was answer enough. A paralyzing feeling of despair overwhelmed Amanda, and rapidly she blinked several times to fight back the tears that were filling her eyes. It was all so futile. Every time she thought that she could handle the situation – the humiliation, the pain, the torture and the sexual abuse – her hopes were dashed and she got once again frustrated and demoralized.

As Amanda was struggling with the painful realization of her possible near death, Mercy watched her emotionless. He felt a flash of satisfaction for tormenting Amanda this way, and for a moment he pondered if he should rape her right now, but then he abandoned the idea, as much appealing as it was. She was too devastated at this moment and wouldn't probably react at all. There was simply no thrill in fucking her if she didn't cry or fight back. So instead of screwing her he took the second bowl of stew together with a slice of bread and placed it in front of Amanda.

"Well, who knows what the future brings. Maybe you'll die, maybe not. But in the meantime I suggest that you eat something!"

Amanda gazed leery at the bowl, and although she felt a growing gnawing sensation in her stomach she hesitated to accept Mercy's offer. The last time when she had accepted such an offer she had to pay a horrendous price for it later on.

"What... what do I have to do? I mean, if I take your food?"

"Learning fast, aren't we?" Mercy taunted her, but then he added more kindly: "This one's on the house. So don't let me keep you!"

Amanda shot a surprised glance at him, searching for any sign that he was tricking her again, but his smile seemed open and sincere.

"Thank you." she said finally before she dipped the bread into the stew, taking a first careful bit. The bread was stale, and the unsavory, slimy stew left a bad taste in her mouth. However, eventually her hunger got the better of her and she started to gulp the food as fast as she could.

"You're welcome." replied Mercy with still the same smile on his face, but there was a dark glistening in his eyes as he watched Amanda for a moment. His sudden generosity was by no means without purpose. He had a plan. And if it worked it would cost Amanda much more than her already taken virginity. But until then he kept his temper and waited patiently, knowing that sooner or later the right time would come.

**St. Vincent's Convent of the Merciful Sisters, 1968**

The early morning sun bathed the patio in bright light. It was about half past six, meaning that the laudes, the morning prayer, had not yet begun. Slowly Sister Mary Helena opened the door of her cell and stepped outside. She was dressed in her usual white cassock, though it seemed a little bit crumpled. In fact, she had not undressed during the night after she had interrupted her 'confession' in the late evening. She had not found much sleep, however, too deep was her fear of having another nightmare. Remembering the traumatic events that happened 27 years ago was horrible enough, but reviving them in her dreams was more she could bear.

Closing the wooden door behind her Mary Helena turned toward the refectory. She wanted to meet the abbess, Sister Mary Elisabeth, she had to continue her confession before it was too late. But her weak body didn't allow her to hurry up. More than once she had to pause on her way, resting on the stoned wall or a nearby column. After crossing just about half of the way down the patio she was already sweating and panting heavily. A sudden dizziness nearly overwhelmed her, and all at once she had the terrible feeling that she would faint and collapse right now. Just when her weak knees started to give in she got grabbed by a pair of hands.

"Sister Mary Helena, are you alright? You're pale like snow! Let's get over there to the bench, okay?" came a worried voice from behind her. It was the novice, Mary Abigail, who carefully supported Mary Helena to a small bench not far away, where they sat down together. It took Mary Helena some time before she had enough energy to look up to her unexpected savior.

"Thank you, Mary... Mary..." she started, but she couldn't remember the name of the young novice as her head was still spinning. The novice, however, didn't seem to mind.

"Mary Abigail, Sister." she said smiling. "Mary Abigail." repeated Mary Helena, "Thank you very much. I... I would have passed out probably if it wasn't for your kind help."

"Why, are you sick? Should I get you a doctor? I can call an ambulance, if you want!" offered Mary Abigail anxiously.

"No, don't worry, I'm not sick." shaking her head slightly Mary Helena took several deep breaths. Feeling already a little bit better, with the dizziness in her head slowly fading, she even managed to smile: "I'm just an old nun who overestimated her strength. But I think I can go the remaining path on my own now. So you can leave me here and return to your duty."

"Oh no, I can't leave you. What if you pass out again, what if you fall and break your leg? You could get seriously injured! You're still weakened!"

"I am, my little fellow believer, but I have faith in God. For it is said: _The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in him, and I am helped._", Mary Helena patted the hand of the younger woman in a comforting way, "Besides I am not yet ready to meet our maker, the Lord. Not before I have settled one last issue."

Confused by her words Mary Abigail raised her eyebrows. "One last issue? What do you mean?"

"To tell the truth." Mary Helena simply stated, leaving the novice as perplexed as before. But before Mary Abigail could ask any more questions she raised a hand. "Now please, do me a favor. Go and let Mother Superior know that I'm on my way. She'll understand."

Her tone of voice indicated clearly that this was more a command than a question, and although Mary Abigail still worried about the elder woman she bowed obediently and stood up.

"Of course, Sister Mary Helena. May the Lord, our heavenly father, bless you."

"God bless you, too, Mary Abigail!" replied Mary Helena, bowing her head as well. As the novice walked away she watched her for some time before she finally got up. The sudden movement made her wobble first, but she closed her eyes and mumbled several short prayers until the dizziness decreased, then she started to walk slowly down the patio. No matter how hard it was, no matter how long it took, but she had to complete her confession. She simply had to!


	7. Longing for kindness

**Author' note:** Unbelievable, but true: I have written a new chapter. Took me only one and a half year. ;-) Well, but at least you know now that I'm not dead and - even more - still writing. So R&R. Greetz, AmandaK.

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**  
St. Vincent's Convent of the Merciful Sisters, 1968**

With closed eyes and folded hands Sister Mary Helena kneed on the floor and prayed. The abbess, Sister Mary Elisabeth, had left her half an hour ago to attend the daily vesper evensong. Mary Helena had not participated, although she knew that it was a violation of her cloistral duty, but she hadn't had the strength to go to the chapel. So instead she had stayed in the empty refectory, praying all the time for the fortitude to complete her confession. But with every word, every sentence, she felt weaker and weaker, as if the couching of her memories was poisoning her body and her soul. However, she had to tell, even if it meant that she would die.

Waiting for the return of the abbess she continued her prayer: "The Lord is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield and the horn of my salvation. He is my stronghold, my refuge and my saviour- from violent men you save me. I call to the Lord, who is worthy of praise, and I am saved from my enemies."

She was still in the middle of the psalm when Sister Mary Elisabeth entered the refectory. As the abbess beheld the small figure of Mary Helena she sighed in worry. In god's name, this awful confession was clearly killing Mary Helena. But she knew that nothing would keep the nun from going on. All she could do was listening. Listen and pray.

Mary Helena was still praying silently. Mary Elisabeth stepped beside her and touched her shoulder.

"Mary Helena? Are you alright?"

Mary Helena opened her eyes and nodded: "I'm fine."

With the help of Mary Elisabeth she managed to stand up and sat on a nearby chair.

"Are you sure you want to go on with this?" the abbess asked. Mary Helena nodded again: "I am. I… I'm sure it's God's will. Why else should the Lord restore all these memories, if not for telling them?"

Mary Elisabeth sighed: "Your faith is admirable, my child. Just say when it's too much for you so we can take a break."

"I will, holy mother", agreed Sister Mary Helena, but it sounded not very convincing. Her dark eyes stared into space, and several minutes passed in silence while she was trying to find the right words to continue with the story of her dreadful memories. When she finally focused back on Sister Mary Elisabeth it was with so much pain in her look that it made the abbess cringe. A single teardrop ran down her hollow cheek as she asked:

"Do you believe that trust can be a sin, too?"

**Tower Ward, 1941**

The night was bitterly cold. The few dirty ceiling lights, which were permanently lit even during the night, turned the hall into a creepy, shadowy place. Laying on the rough floor with only her thin, tattered dress to warm her Amanda was chilled to the bone. That and the constant pain in her body from the recurring rapes prevented that she found some sleep. Shivering constantly she heard footsteps behind her and closed her eyes in fear. Probably it was one of moose's gang members, and even more probably he wanted to rape her again. But instead of the brute force that she expected she suddenly felt the soft touch of a woolen blanket placed over her freezing body. Raising her head in surprise she noticed Mercy, who knelt next to her with a mysterious smile on his face.

"Take it, it will help against the cold." he said. Unsure what to do Amanda gazed at him, searching for a sign that that there was a catch in his offer. But he seemed really sincere, and so she wrapped the blanket around herself.

"Thank you."

"You're welcome." Mercy replied politely. Once again his behavior confused Amanda completely. The whole day he had treated her quite inconsistently. One moment he was pure evil, taunting her cruelly and enjoying her pain while raping her brutally, the other moment he was friendly and courteous, protecting her against too much violence from other men and even helping her with a certain human need. Every time she thought she knew him he astonished her with some new and unexpected behavior. Like giving her a blanket in the middle of the night when she was almost freezing to death.

The new blanket gave her at least some comforting warmth, yet she couldn't sleep. Too much pain, too much fear and too much terror made it impossible for her to relax enough to find some rest.

Mercy, who watched her closely, noticed that she was still staring with open eyes into the air.

"Still not sleeping, huh? Want some company?" he asked after a while. Hesitating only for a short moment Amanda finally sat up and nodded: "Yes, please."

Mercy smiled and approached her a little bit more, so that he was sitting right beside her.

"I know, it's not really a classy hotel here, but you get used to it after a while."

Amanda looked around at the miserable filthy surrounding and wondered how long someone had to be in this horrid place to get ever used to it.

"How… how long have you been here?" she asked eventually.

"Which year do we have?" Mercy asked back. At first Amanda thought he was joking, but then she realized that he really didn't know the date and said: "1941, December 1941."

"1941." repeated Mercy thoughtfully, and then after a short moment, he added: "Eight and a half years."

Now it was Amanda who repeated rather shocked: "Eight and a half years! So long!"

Mercy, however, shrugged his shoulders and said: "Well, at least I'm alive. In jail I would have been sentenced to death already."

Amanda had to admit that he had a point, but more than eight years still sounded like an awful long time in a place like this.

"Is there any chance that they'll release you some day?"

Mercy chuckled softly. "Would you really release someone like me?"

"Well, of course. I believe in the good in people. So if you're truly sorry for your crimes and promise to stay righteous, devotional and respectable, then I would release you after a certain amount of time."

She had not yet finished, though, when Mercy burst into a loud laughter.

"You'd seriously set me free? Oh, how lovely you are, my dear. Lovely, but also incredibly naïve and stupid!"

His laughter had turned into a sneer, and the piercing look of his icy blue eyes made Amanda blush in embarrassment.

"You have no idea what I have done! I killed thirteen women, the youngest hardly older than fourteen. I used to mutilate them, pulled out their finger nails, broke their legs and arms, cut off their tits, stabbed a knife into their cunts and flogged them until their skin was nothing more than raw bloody flesh. And while they were screaming in pain I fucked them again and again. Sooner or later they were all crying for mercy, begging me to end their miserable life. That was when the real fun began! Sometimes I tortured them like this for days before I finally killed them, and I enjoyed every single moment of it. So, if I had the chance to, if you'd release me like you said, I would do it again without hesitation."

Amanda turned pale as Mercy described his horrific crimes in such detail. Although she had already known that he was a rapist and murderer she was shocked by the enormity of his cruelty and viciousness.

"But... why?" she asked appalled.

"Why? Because that's what I am." Mercy replied. When Amanda remained silent he added: "Let me tell you a little story. My father was a successful company owner. He had a stable with some very valuable stallions. When I was a boy, about ten or eleven years old, I set the stable on fire, just to hear the horses scream in fear and pain. After that my father sent me to a catholic boarding school. But even the priests couldn't change what I was and how I felt. Some years later, when I was in college, I raped a woman for the first time. And after I graduated law school I killed my first victim. So if you ask me why I kill, it's just the way I've always been and always will be."

Confused Amanda didn't know what to say. Her first thought was that he was wrong. No one was a natural born killer. It contradicted everything she believed in, namely that there was something good in every man. Then, another point attracted her attention.

"Law school? You... you were a lawyer?!"

"Yes, I was a lawyer. A quite successful one in fact." Mercy said with noticeable proud.

When Amanda still met him with disbelief he called: "Oh c'mon. Not everyone here is an uneducated moron. Some time ago we even had a doctor. Yes, he killed several of his patients and fucked their corpses, but he was a real doctor. A very literate man, besides. We used to have some very decent conversations. At least before he started to tick me off so much that I had to kill him."

"Oh. That's…uh…" Amanda began, but became silent then. She'd wanted to express her sorrow, but she feared that Mercy would mock her again. Even so he seemed to sense what she had been about to say, for he raised an eye brow and grinned sardonically.

Although their conversation had been rather short it had tired Amanda. She yawned twice and pulled the blanket closer. Mercy saw it and patted her shoulder gently.

"Try to get some sleep. Soon enough it's morning and they'll line up to fuck you once again." He said and stood up. Although his words were not comforting at all Amanda nodded and lay down on the floor.

Mercy was already a few steps gone, but he turned around when Amanda called him.

"Mercy? Thanks." She said with a shy smile. Smiling back briefly he looked down on her for a moment, then he turned back and left without a word.


End file.
